


Balancing the Forces

by MollyBriana



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Family Drama, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-27
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-02 19:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyBriana/pseuds/MollyBriana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Xiaolin Monks find out a surprising fact about one of their greatest enemies. Now, they must deal with two clashing monks as different as night and day in order to maintain a delicate balance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was daybreak at the sleepy Xiaolin Temple. The four young dragons filed out of their rooms, ready to train and face any challenge that may appear. As usual, Master Fung was waiting for them at the training grounds, prepared to give them a lesson.

"Today, we shall focus on balance," Master Fung stated rather bluntly.

"But, Master, we all know how to balance," Omi interrupted, then proceeded to balance himself on only two fingers.

"This is not that balance that I speak of, young monk," Master Fung explained. "It is the balance between all forces and living things. There can be no night without day, no summer without winter, and even no good without evil."

"But wouldn't a world without evil be perfect?" Kimiko asked.

"A world without evil or suffering may seem ideal at first, but as time goes on, people begin to take for granted what they posses. A world without suffering is a world without being thankful," he explained.

"Excuse me, but, you seem to be getting' to the point mighty fast, Master Fung," Clay stated.

"Yes, I am," he replied. "I have a very important mission for you to undertake. Follow me."

The five walked inside the temple, where they kept all the ancient scrolls. Master Fung proceeded to the genealogy section. He simply pulled out one scroll and handed it to Raimundo.

"As the new Shoku Warrior, I can expect that you will understand the meaning of this scroll," he instructed.

Rai carefully unraveled the old scroll and glanced at his. His brow furrowed in concentration and confusion, but then his expression changed into one of complete shock. He read over it again, this time with even more care and attention than before. "I can tell you what this is, but I can't tell you what it's for."

"What is it then?" Master Fung asked.

"It's a scroll completely on Chase Young's family tree..." Raimundo answered.

"No offense, but, what's the big deal about that?" Clay asked.

"Yeah, it just says who his parents and other relatives were. Right?" Kimiko agreed.

Rai nodded. "Yeah, but... The tree doesn't stop at Chase."

Each of his fellow monks adopted the same shocked looks on their faces.

"What? That is impossible! Chase Young never had any children!" Omi stated.

"No... He did... More recent than you think," Rai assured.

"If he had children, how come we never heard of 'em?" Clay asked.

"Because they do not know," Master Fung answered. "You see, many descendants of powerful people or monks are often given away, in order to assure peace and a chance at a normal life. After a certain age, they are able to make the choice to join the Xiaolin. Becoming a true Xiaolin Dragon or monk must be a personal choice in order to assure that their full potential can be attained."

"Okay, but Chase Young is on the Heylin side," Kimiko said.

"But he wasn't always..." Rai concluded.

"Precisely. He was once one of the most accomplished Xiaolin Monks, therefore his children have great power dwelling deep within them. We must try to recruit them, so that their powers are not utilized by those who are evil."

"If they are so powerful, why would Chase abandon them?" Omi asked.

"I can't exactly see a little boy or girl running up to Chase saying 'Daddy!'" Rai stated.

"He probably didn't want to be saddled down with 'em," Clay stated.

"Whatever the reason may be, they are reaching the age where they are capable of making the decision themselves whether they would want to join us or not. That will be your assignment for today," Master Fung informed.

The four smiled widely.

"No training?" Rai asked.

"No chores?" Kimiko continued.

"None," he confirmed.

"I reckon we should get goin' then," Clay said.

Dojo yawned and rubbed his eyes. "You're all too happy for it to be morning..."

"Master, how does this tie in with balance?" Omi asked.

"All will be revealed in time, young monk. Now hurry, time is of the essence," he replied.

They all grabbed their usual Wu before heading off, having no clue exactly what they were about to get themselves into.


	2. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Monks must search and convince Devon and Krista to join them at the Xiaolin Temple.

"Beverly Hills! Not a bad place to live," Dojo said as he landed in front of the gate of the large mansion-like home that Chase's son lived in. "Ooh! I think I saw Taylor Swift!"

Rai quirked an eyebrow. "You listen to Taylor Swift?"

"What? No! Of course not..." he defended nervously.

The four laughed, making Dojo pout and frown.

"Fine! You can find Devon on your own. Come get me when you're done. I'll be over there," the dragon said.

"Isn't that where you saw Taylor?" Kimiko asked.

"Was it? I didn't notice," he replied with a sheepish smile before quickly slithering off.

"What do you reckon we should tell him when we see him? We can't just come out and say it," Clay stated.

"Why not? It is best to get it out of the way," Omi said.

"Clay has a point. What if Devon doesn't even know he was adopted?" Kimiko asked.

"Master Fung said this mission was time sensitive! We must act quickly!" he objected.

"Kim and Clay are right," Rai stated.

"But-" he continued to object.

"We don't have time to argue," he interrupted.

"We don't have time to hit around the rock!" Omi yelled.

Kimiko and Clay looked at each other. "... I'm gonna guess he means beat around the bush," Clay shrugged.

Rai took a deep breath. "I'm leader. What I say goes, and I say we go with what Clay and Kimiko say. You'd be out voted anyway."

"Sorry, Omi," Kimiko apologized.

"Maybe next time partner," Clay consoled.

The youngest of the monks scowled. "Let us just be on with it."

"So how are we going to do this?" she asked.

Just then, a boy stepped outside of the gated house eyeing them up. He was tall and have very pale skin. His hair was a short and held a dark onyx color that contrasted with both his pale skin and his sea-foam green eyes. "No more actors! We told you to stay away, he doesn’t need anyone else for his script.”

"You have us confused for someone else,” Kimiko stated.

The boy quirked an eyebrow and crossed his hand in front of his chest. “Then who are you?”

 

“We were about to ask you the same thing, partner,” Clay responded.

They boy's eyes widened. "You seriously don't know who I am? I'm Devon Lawrence Ashton. The son of Albert Ashton, director extraordinaire."

"Oh, so you are Devon!" Omi said. "I am Omi, and these are my fellow monks; Kimiko, Clay, and Raimundo."

"We need to talk to you about something important," Kimiko stated.

"I don't have time to talk, and no, you can't be in my movie. I'm sick of people coming up to me and-" Devon started, before being interrupted by another voice.

Kimiko growled. “This isn’t about your stupid movie!”

"Who are these people? More actors?" Albert asked. He strolled up to the group, looking each of them over, then noticed the clothing that Omi was wearing and sighed. "I knew this would only be a matter of time."

"What?" Devon asked.

"You know who we are?" Rai asked.

He nodded. "I could tell by his robes," he explained then pointed to Omi. "I was told seventeen years ago that this was going to happen, I guess I forgot over time. Let me talk to Devon, father to son, for a little."

"Um..." Rai said, then looked back at the group. Kimiko nodded, Clay shrugged, and Omi shook his head. "Of course."

"What?!" Omi snapped as his face was practically red with anger. "We do not have-"

Rai quickly cupped his hand over Omi's mouth. "They can take all the time they need. Don't you can Clay need to go somewhere else, anyway?"

Omi was oblivious to what Rai was hinting at, but Clay caught on right away. "Right, we need to head off."

"But-" Omi started again, earning a light elbow from Kimiko.

"Right... Let us go?" Omi asked, sounding very confused.

Clay nodded before walking off with Omi to find Dojo.

"As for you both," said Albert, who now turned his attention to Kimiko and Rai, "you can make yourselves at home here while I talk to Devon."

Rai and Kimiko nodded, gave him their thanks, then wandered inside the large mansion.

\--

"Why didn't you just say we were going to find the other person?" Omi asked.

"Because it's supposed to be a secret mission?" Clay somewhat answered.

"But wouldn't he already know?" he asked.

"Well... Here's what happened," Dojo began to explain. "When Devon and Krista were dropped off at the orphanage, Ashton’s wife was just drawn to Devon. Her husband wasn't a big director yet, so they had the time to raise a family. Devon was adopted almost immediately, even while Master Monk Guan was still there. So, he decided to fill them in that Devon was a monk, and may need to be called upon someday. They didn't care, they just wanted him."

"That story sounds too unrealistic," Omi stated.

"There's a reason behind it. Just ask Master Fung," he replied.

The terrain below them went from green to tan, and the sun began to beat down on them even more than before.

"Where exactly is Krista?" Clay asked.

"Well... We don't technically know. Since she wasn't adopted right away and her parents aren't big time celebrities. We have to start at the orphanage they were left at," he replied.

The landed outside of a large city that was hustling and bustling with people. There were advertisements for shows and casinos all over, and many large themed hotels stood out proudly against the desert horizon.

"Las Vegas. It's a lot... Dirtier than I remember," Dojo said.

"The amount of filth does not matter, all that matters is that you remember where the orphanage is," Omi said.

"Right, it's that way," Dojo said confidently and pointed east, then paused. "No... Wait... That way," he corrected, pointing west. "Or was it that way?" he asked, now pointing North.

Omi was now fuming. "You have got to be kidding me! We are on a time oriented mission, and you forget where the person we must find is?"

"Hey, we've got a picture of her," he defended, pulling out a picture of a girl with long maroon hair, yellow eyes, and pale skin.

"How did y'all get a picture of her if you don't know where she is?" Clay asked.

"Easy," the dragon replied, "I used the Fountain of Hui and Eagle Scope."

"And you couldn't use that to remind yourself where the orphanage was?" the cowboy questioned.

He deadpanned. "I.. Uh... Um... Don’t blame me! I’m just a flying dragon who senses Shen Gong Wu!"

Omi sighed. “Let us being searching.” 

“Why Las Vegas, anyway? I reckon it’s not a place for kids,” Clay stated. 

“Exactly,” Dojo agreed. “No one would think we’d hide them here. That way, if they weren’t adopted and someone came after them, they’d be safe. 

The Texan reached his hand under his hat and scratched his head. “I guess that makes sense.”

"Watch it!" yelled a voice as she plowed through the group, stumbling a bit. The girl made a sharp right turn down into an alleyway, and was soon followed by two men who appeared to be chasing her.

"That was suspicious," Omi stated. "As much as our mission is important, it is our duty as Xiaolin Monks to protect those in need of our help."

"And it looks like she could use a lot of it," Dojo agreed.

The three sprinted into the alleyway, only to see that the girl was almost cornered due to a fence blocking the exit to the alleyway.

"Hey, fellas, come on," the girl tried, "it's technically not stealing if you're taking something back, right?"

One of the men grunted, while the other cracked his knuckles.

She scowled. "Fine! Have it your way!" She quickly turned on her heels and ran full speed ahead toward a fence. She sprung off the ground and onto an air conditioner protruding from one of the windows. From there, she kicked off the top of the fence, flipped forward, and grabbed onto the bottom step of a rusty, yet partially retracted, fire escape ladder. The fix was only temporary though, because as soon as her full weight pulled down on the ladder, it fell to the ground.

"Crap..." she mumbled then began her ascent up the fire escape. By now, the thugs were halfway over the fence.

"What do we do?" Dojo asked. "She's being attacked, but she also admitted that she stole something."

"I do not know," Omi answered, studying the three very carefully. Then, something clicked. "Dojo! Let me see that picture."

"Are you sure now is the time for that?" Clay asked.

He swiftly ripped the picture from the dragon's hands, looking at it carefully before turning his attention back to the girl. "Yes! Look! That's the girl, only she has blue eyes!" he stated.

"Contacts?" Dojo guessed.

"It doesn't matter," the youngest monk replied as watched them all reach the roof top. "We cannot pass up this opportunity!"

"We gotta get up there, and fast," Clay agreed as the three followed in their footsteps.

On top of the building, the girl had pretty much gotten herself cornered. "I led you this far on a chase, what makes you think I'll stop here?" she asked with a smirk.

The two thugs only looked at each other and laughed, considering they had her just off the edge of the building.

"You don't think I'll jump? Try me," she challenged.

"You won't have to!" interrupted Omi, who used his Shimo Staff to sweep the thugs off of their feet.

"What in the-" the girl started, before feeling a sharp pull from behind her. She screamed as she felt herself falling, but was quickly caught by someone. She looked down to see that whatever had caught her was floating in midair!

Her eyes continued to trail up until she met the blue eyes of a cowboy who tipped his hat at her. "Looks like you could used a ride."

She was speechless as Omi hopped onto Dojo and they took off.

They landed on top of a plateau in the Mojave desert, and she was all too happy to get off.

"Okay... I'm going crazy," she mumbled to herself. "Absolutely insane. Oh man, oh man, am I screwed now..."

"Are... You alright?" Clay asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She reacted by quickly tensing up, and turning to nail his face as hard as she could with her fist. He caught it with ease, earning a shocked look from her. "Hey, now. No need for violence."

"Let go of me!" she snapped, pulling her hand out of his grip and taking a step back. "Who are you? No, what are you and what the hell do you want?"

"Geez, you think she'd be nicer to the guys who just saved her butt," Dojo commented.

"I didn't need any saving. I was handling things fine on my own," she stated and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"We do not wish to harm or alert you. We just wish to talk," Omi said.

She quirked a curious eyebrow. "About what? Before you answer that, can I have some names to go with your faces? I’m Krista."

"I am Omi, the one in the hat is Clay and the dragon is Dojo. We are Xiaolin Monks, tasked with subduing evil and keep balance between all forces. We were sent here on a mission to speak to you, and tell you that you're in grave danger," he explained.

A small, amused smile crept across her lips. "Kid, this is Vegas. You make a wrong turn and you're always in danger."

"No, it's not that type of danger. It is far worse," he assured.

"Really, now?" she replied, unamused.

"Yes, so you must come with us back to the Xiaolin Temple and-"

"I appreciate the help, but I think I'll take my chances," she stated.

"You do not understand! You could be injured, imprisoned, killed, or turn to darkness!" he warned.

"I highly doubt that," she said and began walking back toward the city, even though it was quite a walk away now.

“But you may very well upset the balance between darkness and light. The world could be plunged into ten thousand years of darkness!” Omi emphasized. 

“Look, if you’re so adamant about it, I’m sure you’ll find another way to stop it. Now, is there any way you can give me a ride home?” she asked.


	3. Winding Down

The Xiaolin Dragons in training sat in a common room where they would often spend their free time to hang out. Kimiko was busily typing away at her PDA, while Raimundo and Clay faced off in a game of keep away with a soccer ball and lasso. Omi sat near the corner of the room, silently reflecting on the days events.  
“I still cannot help but feel like we have failed Maser Fung,” the young Xiaolin dragon in training sighed.   
“What makes you say that Omi?” Kimiko inquired as she looked up from her PDA and at the sad monk.   
“Clay and I failed to bring Krista Young back to the temple for proper training and safety. We only completed half of our mission, which is unacceptable,” Omi explained.   
“It’s not like we could control what she does,” Rai said as he kicked the ball up as Clay flung his lasso at it. The lasso barely missed the black and while ball, leaving the cowboy to recoil the rope and try again.   
“Yeah, it was her decision, partner,” Clay agreed. “We gave her Kimiko’s phone number in case things get funny.”   
“Yeah, and I always have my cell phone on me,” the she agreed as she held it up in the air. “Plus, most of our enemies don’t even know she exists, and if they do, they don’t know where to find her.”   
“I understand, and appreciate that you are trying to cheer me up, but I feel as if I’ve only won half a showdown,” Omi explained.   
“Eh, you can’t win them all,” Rai stated. He kicked his ball in the air and watched as the rope from Clay’s lasso encircled it, and pulled it away from him. He retrieved the ball and restarted the game while mentally adding a tally to Clay’s score.   
“But we must try to win them all! You are our leader now, you must be encouraging that,” Omi retaliated.   
“It’s like Master Fung says,” Rai started. “There are no lessons in victory, but a thousand in defeat. Just find the lesson that’s hidden in there somewhere.”   
“But no victories and a thousand defeats would plunge the world into darkness!” he replied. “And what lesson is there to learn here? If there is, I am not hearing it!”   
“Um… I think you mean seeing it, Omi,” Kimiko corrected.   
“Maybe the lesson is ‘be a better people person’ or something,” Rai retorted.   
Master Fung appeared in the doorway with Devon and cleared his throat. “Young dragon’s, after careful observance, the other monks and I have discovered that Devon indeed possess elemental power, and that his power is light.”   
“The Dragon of Light, huh? Welcome to the team,” Rai said as he high fived him.   
“You’ll be right at home here,” Kimiko agreed.  
“Welcome aboard, partner,” Clay said as he tipped his hat at the new dragon in training.   
Devon smiled a dazzling Hollywood smile. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”  
“Omi, is there something you would like to say?” master Fung asked as a way to secretly call attention to the monk’s rudeness.   
“Oh, yes, forgive me, master,” the boy apologized as he bowed. “It is nice to have a new ally and friend fighting here with us.”  
Devon nodded. “Thanks, little guy.”   
“I shall leave you all to become acquainted. Devon has the day to settle in, but everyone else must train and do their chores as required,” Master Fung explained.   
The group sighed collectively. It had already been such a long day, and they were almost positive they would be off the hook for their daily obligations.   
Master Fung left the room, and everyone went back to their business.   
“So, did you live in Beverly Hills your whole life?” Kimiko asked.   
“Yeah, with my dad being a directly, we always had to stay in the LA area,” Devon replied.   
“What was it like having an actor for a dad? Was it like one of those sob stories where the really rich kid has a parent that’s too busy for them things?” Rai asked as he kicked his soccer ball up.   
Kimiko swatted it away. “That was a polite way to ask,” she said sarcastically.   
“No, actually,” Devon interrupted. “I mean, when he has films in the works, he gets pretty busy, but that’s only a few months at a time. Any other time, he’s at home with me and my mom.”   
“How about your house, huh? That was some fancy place!” Dojo stated.   
“Yeah, it’s going to be hard adjusting to living here now,” Devon admitted.   
“I hear ya!” Rai agreed. “It took me forever to get used to those beds.”   
“But before you know, this place will be just like home,” Clay assured.   
“As much as I hate to break up bonding time, it’s getting close to dinner! You guys need to get your training done so we can eat!” Dojo declared.   
Kimiko laughed. “Alright, we’ll go train. Dojo, stick with Devon and make sure he gets settled in.   
“I’m on it,” Dojo replied with a salute.   
The four dragons walked out to their usual training grounds and decided to focus today’s session on hand to hand combat. After a round of heads or tails, it was decided that Kimiko would face Clay, and Omi would face Raimundo.   
“It’s hard to believe that Chase Young actually has children,” Kimiko admitted as she tried to kick Clay.  
The cowboy swiftly blocked her, but carried on the conversation. “Yeah, I didn’t think anyone could love a varmint like him.”   
Rai dodged a chop from Omi and tried to leg sweep him. Omi jumped in the air over Rai’s leg, and Rai flipped back to avoid being hit by Omi.   
“Who said anything about love?” Rai sai. “It’s surprising, but even Chase Young is human.”   
“Yes, but he is also one of the most evil people in Xiaolin history,” Omi stated. He ran forward and kicked Raimundo’s chest. Unfortunately, Rai grabbed his leg and tossed him backwards. He landed on the ground with a light thud, but was too lost in thought to get back up. “We don’t know what to expect from Devon or Krista, especially when they are the children of someone who continuously has Lao Mang Lone soup within their body.”  
“Omi’s right. Chase no longer has the choice to be good or evil, so what’s to say they won’t have that choice either?” Kimiko agreed.   
“All this talk is makin’ me wish we could’ve convinced Krista to come here,” Clay added.   
“Yeah, at least then we could keep an eye on them both,” Rai concluded. He walked over to Omi and offered a hand to help him up.   
Omi gladly accepted the aid, and absentmindedly swatted a buzzing fly away from his ear. The fly quickly flew away and over the walls of the Xiaolin temple. After flying a decent distance away, the fly squeakily yelled out something.   
“Manchurian Musca!’ The fly quickly grew in size, and revealed that it was not a pesky insect, but the pesky Jack Spicer instead. Despite no one being there, he had a look of utter shock on his face.   
“You’ve got to be kidding me! Chase Young, a dad?” he talked, mostly to himself. “This could have evil opportunity written all over it! If Chase’s kids are inherently evil, I could recruit them to help me take over the world! The only problem is they said that they have one of them on their side. So, I’ll just have to find the other one.”   
He clicked a button on his watch that acted as a walkie-talkie to the jackbots at his lab. “Search all public records for the name Krista Young, and narrow down the search using genetic compatibility to Chase Young’s DNA.”   
After an hour, the monks completed their training, an all sat down to dinner.   
“Did you move in all right, Devon?” Kimiko asked as she picked at her food.   
“Yeah, I’m all settled,” Devon answered.   
“I just can’t believe he fit everything in that room,” Dojo stated while munching on a chicken leg..   
“You’d be surprised how resourceful a director could be,” Devon replied.  
“Do you actually direct movies?” Rai asked.   
“Not technically,” he answered. “I have a few screen plays in the works, though. Some awesome things that will really get my career going when the time comes!”   
“That sounds most interesting,” Omi stated.   
“Yeah, mind if I ask what your movies are about?” Clay inquired.   
Devon shrugged. “I don’t mind saying, I feel like I can trust you. One is a zombie story about a group of survivors in search of an escape or safe haven in their post-apocalyptic war, but it won’t be like other zombie stories. It will be different because it will have the perfect balance of drama, action, and zombie killing. But, that’s only the basic summary.”   
“Have any ideas for characters yet?” Kimiko asked. The moment she finished her sentence, the obnoxious sound of a cell phone ringtone echoed through the room. “Sorry, guys. I don’t usually get calls during dinner.”   
She glanced down to silence her phone, but the number caught her interest. “I don’t even know what area code that is, let alone who’s calling me…”   
“Answer is,” Rai suggested. “What’s the worst that can happen?”   
Kimiko nodded and clicked the green phone icon on her screen. She held the phone up to her ear and said, “Hello?”   
“Kimiko?!” a frantic voice from the other end asked.   
“Yes… Who is this?” Kimiko replied as she glanced at the others. Each of then remained quiet in hopes to catch some part of what the strange caller was saying.   
“It’s Krista. Look… I need your help!”


	4. Race Through Vegas

The Xiaolin monks were currently riding on Dojo’s back, and headed towards the unforgiving landscape of the Mojave Desert.

“Can’t say that took very long,” Clay said as he scratched his head. “I just hope she’s okay.”

“I know,” Kimiko agreed. “It’s not every night you get a distress all in the middle of dinner.”

“So, what exactly did she say?” Devon asked.

“That someone was after her,” she answered. “Someone who she never saw before and practically had a small army with them. Too many for her to take on by herself. She said she’d be hiding out in one of the cafés inside the Canal Shops at the Venetian.”

“Isn’t that place supposed to be huge, though?” Rai questioned.

“Yes, it’s Vegas. Everything is huge there. I imagine it’s going to be mostly clothing and jewelry stores though, so it shouldn’t be too difficult,” Devon explained.

The monk landed in front of a towering building that practically shone in the harsh Mojave sunlight. People clapped and cheered as the group landed. They must’ve thought that it was all part of some show or stunt. This was Vegas, after all.

They looked around for an entrance to the dazzling hotel, and when they finally found one, they were greeted by Italian styled architecture and geometrically shaped patterns on the floor. The ceiling rose over forty feet above their heads, and the distant mummers of people talking and clings of people winning money echoed through the stone walls.

“I guess not everything is bigger in Texas…” Clay admitted as he began walking through the colossal building.

“How do we know which way to go?” Rai asked.

“Easy,” Kimiko stated as she walked up to a small pillar that stuck up from the ground. “We use a directory! Any mall worth going too has at least a dozen of these.” She studied the map for a good minute before finding a route there, then took a picture of it in case they were to get lost in the giant building.

“This place is most impressive,” Omi stated as everyone began following Kimiko.

“Of course it is, it’s Las Vegas,” Rai stated.

“Maybe we can catch a show later? I never got to see one in New York,” Kimiko suggested.  
“Oh, like one of those magic shows with the lion tamers?” Clay asked.

“Not the kind of Vegas show I’d be interested in,” Rai said with a small smirk. This earned a punch from Kimiko, as well as some confused questions from Omi.

“We’ll explain when you’re older,” Devon told the young monk.

Kimiko was about to ask Devon a question when she saw a female in an all-black jumpsuit. The sighting was brief, because the individual got lost in the crowd. Normally, she would’ve pursued the oddly familiar figure, but it could’ve been anyone dressing crazily given the town they were in.

“You nervous about meeting your sister, partner?” Clay asked as he looked at Devon, who had a bit of an anxious look about him.

“I guess… I mean, who wouldn’t be? She’s my twin, just like me, and I didn’t know she existed until a few days ago. From what you guys told me, she doesn’t seem nice, either,” Devon explained.

Rai shrugged. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from having eight brothers and sisters, it’s that you can’t pick your family, no matter how much of a pain in the butt they are. That, and, they’re still family.”

Devon nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

The monks walked into a rather large town circle looking area that had a fake sky painted on the ceiling. Kimiko quickly spotted the café they were to meet at, and began heading over toward it. “Omi and Clay were the only ones who actually met her, so you should keep a sharp look out.”

The two nodded and began scanning the crowd for the dragon of darkness. It was difficult in the sea of people, especially because of how crowded the seemingly small café was. It wasn’t long before one of them caught a glimpse of cranberry colored hair and pointed her out to the rest of the group. At the same he pointed, her blue eyes flickered over to them, and she walked over.

“Thanks for meeting me here,” Krista said as she reached them. “I didn’t know what to do when they came after me.”

“We think we know who it is. They aren’t threatening, if you’re trained,” Raimundo stated.

The dragon of darkness nodded. “They know where I live, so I don’t have anywhere secure to go. Oh, and I’m Krista, but you probably already knew that.”  
“I’m Kimiko,” the little Japanese girl introduced. “The only other ones you haven’t met are Raimundo and your-“

“I’m Devon,” Devon interrupted. He knew they would have plenty of time to talk when they arrived back and the temple, and Krista didn’t need any other distractions while people were hunting her down. “We should probably get out of here before they find us.”

Just as Devon finished his sentence, jack-bots rose from the sea of people and surrounded them. The monks quickly searched for an exit; it was too risky to start a fight with all these bystanders around. Innocent people could be seriously injured. Unfortunately, Jack and Katnappe blocked the north entrance to the mock town square, and Tubbimura and Chameleon-bot stood guard at the south entrance.

“This could get bad,” Devon stated.

“I reckon that map would be mighty handy right now,” Clay said to Kimiko.

“There’s no way out,” Kimiko stated.

“So we’ll have to lure them in,” Rai suggested.

“Rai, Krista, we can draw Jack and Katnappe away,” Kimiko agreed.

“Leave the others to us!” Omi cheered.

The monks quickly split up into their designated groups, prepared for battle.

Kimiko, Krista, and Rai ran to the northern entrance and kept low. Rai veered to the left, and Kimiko to the right.

“Hey, Spicer! Stop standing there and come and fight us!” Rai taunted before disappearing into the crowd.

Jack growled and used his helepack to ascend into the air. His eyes scanned over the crowd as he looked for any of the monks.

Krista knew it wouldn’t be long until she was found, so she needed some way to conceal herself. A few feet away, she noticed a man in a baseball cap. She wove through the sea of people, not bothering to apologize when she bumped into someone, and quickly snatched the hat from his head.

“Gotta borrow this! Thanks, bye!” she said as she continued her attempted spring. She quickly threw her hair up and into the cap, then looked around to see if she could find any of the others. All of the monks had their chosen targets in pursuit. If they wanted to escape, it was now or never. She whistled loudly, and thankfully caught someone’s attention.

“Come on guys, let’s move!” Rai stated as he and the others made a break for the exit. Jack flew down to block them, only to have Rai jump up and kick him down. Once the monks caught up with one another, they started planning.

“Any clue how to get outta here?” Clay asked.

“The nearest exit is a good distance away,” Kimiko stated. As soon as Kimiko finished her sentence, Tubbimura’s katana sliced through the air towards Clay. “Look out!”

Clay turned around and ducked, just barely dodging the sword. Unfortunately, it skewered his hat and left it jammed into a wall. ‘Hey! That was my good hat!” he stated before continuing to run with the group.

Tubbimura retrieved his weapon, and the other Heylin pursuers were hot on their trail. Jack was flying through the air, causing many tourists to gasp and watch to see where the strange man was going. Katnappe was hissing and clawing at people in order to get them to move, and Tubbimura was simply knocking them away.

“We can no longer afford to have them chase us here, people may get hurt,” Omi stated.

“Don’t worry, I know a shortcut that will take us outside and away from the public,” Krista stated.

“Sounds great! Where are we going?” Devon asked.

“Well, let’s just say that we’re in the Venetian, and I hope none of you are afraid of wax,” Krista explained. She jumped over a velvet red rope that rested under a mystical sign advertising Madame Tussaudes. She opened a purple door and led them into a dark, cool room.

Once the other monks arrived, they looked around at their strange surroundings. It was very low lit, wherever they were, it clearly wasn’t open yet. In the dim lighting, they could make out a few backgrounds and stages along with eerily still silhouettes.

“Welcome to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum,” Krista said as she walking further into the room. “If we keep going straight through, it will lead us to an alternative entrance that’s outside.”

“And it’s the perfect place to hide if those creeps follow us in here,” Devon stated.

The sound of a doorknob wiggling quickly grabbed their attention.

“Looks like we’re hiding,” Clay said. He pulled his hat even further over his eyes and stayed completely still.

Krista grabbed a fake golf club, tilted her hat down, and took her place in the sports area.

Devon searched for a place to hide, then noticed a stage with the name “ELVIS” suspended above it. He quickly hopped up, flipped his hair back, threw his sunglasses on, and struck a pose.

Rai quickly grabbed Kimiko and hid behind one of the sets, they were out of time and the enemies had just opened the door.

The group prowled in and looked around for their chosen targets.

“Great, how are we going to find them in this freak show?” Katnappe asked.

“These statues are very unnerving,” Tubbimura stated.

“They’re just wax, stop being such a- AHH!!!!!” Jack screamed as he turned around and was face to face with the wax figure of Lady Gaga. “Stay away!”

Katnappe snickered. “What? Don’t you like her music?”

“She’s weird and scary,” Jack admitted as he walked up to a golfing statue. “That’s weird, my dad goes golfing all the time, and he never wears this.”

Tubbimura walked up to Clay and began to examine him. “Oh, so lifelike.”

Katnappe walked up to the fake Elvis and noticed the far too modern clothing. “Wait a second…”

“Make a break for it!” Rai yelled as he and Kimiko exposed themselves. They quickly maneuvered around the statues as they began running to through the museum.

“Huh?” Jack asked and pulled the hat off of the figure he was in front as. He knew he found his target as her hair fell down, but for some odd reason, he froze as their eyes locked.

“Stay back!” Krista warned and swung her fist at him. She nailed him directly in the eye then pushed him back before running to the door.

Clay belly bumped Tubbimura back, stunning him for a moment while he ran off with the others.

Katnappe managed to claw Devon in the arm, leaving three distinct scratch marks. She felt his foot connect with her chest and push her back, then helplessly watched him run off as he fell.

“Hey! You shouldn’t be in here!” one of the security guards said as he blocked the exit.

“We don’t have time for this!” Kimiko stated as she ran and jumped over him. While she was in midair, one of his arms extended, revealing a metallic body.

“Eye of Dashi!” Devon yelled and aimed the wu at Chameleon-bot. The moment the lightening bolt made contact, the robot shorted out and released his comrade.

“This is it!” Krista stated as she rammed into a large door that led into the blinding sunlight.

“Let’s go, Dojo!” Clay hailed as the dragon appeared and grew in size.

Dojo was rubbing his eyes as we waiting for the monks to get on. “Don’t you just hate going from a dark room to outside? Makes my eyes feel like someone just took a picture.” Once he felt the six monks land on him, he quickly took off before the others could pursue them.


	5. Sibling Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I've had this for a while, but forgot to upload... Anyway, Krista arrives at the temple and learns of her brother, and ground rules are set with the other monks.

“Okay, so run this by me again. I was chased down by a gothic genius searching who spends his time building robots and searching for mystical objects. Sounds like a plot from a bad action movie,” Krista stated.

“That’s what I said,” Devon agreed with a nod.

“So, do you believe us now?” Kimiko asked.

“Seeing as we’re flying on a talking dragon thousands of feet in the air, I’d have to say yes. I’m more inclined to believe you now,” Krista replied. She was tightly clinging onto Dojo and didn’t bother looking down.

“Hey, this flying and talking dragon has a name, you know,” Dojo stated, sounded a bit offended.

“Oh, right, sorry. Dojo right?” she asked.

“That’s me, and here we are! The ancient Xiaolin Temple,” he stated as they began their rapid descent. When they finally landed, Dojo allowed everyone to step off. Krista and Devon were all too eager to be back on the ground.

“So, why was this guy after me?” Krista asked.

“It is most likely due to who you are,” Omi stated.

“And, this is going to sound stupid, but who exactly am I in that sense?” she inquired.

“You are the dragon of darkness,’ answered an aged voice. The group turned around to see Master Fung, who had been anticipating their return, standing there. “I am Master Fung. If you choose to stay with us here at the Xiaolin Temple, we will train you to help you hone your skills, as well as offer you a home and protection from those who are after you.”

“Yeah, although Jack isn’t much of a threat,” Rai stated as he leaned against the temple wall. “He’s only a problem when he brings his little followers with him.”

“But, you’re safe here with us,” Clay assured with a warm smile. “So, whadduya say, partner? Wanna join the Xiaolin Temple?”

Krista crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked around in silent contemplation. Everyone seemed nice enough, and each of them had a warm and welcoming smile on their faces. The temple was peaceful, but it was in the middle of nowhere which would drive her nuts. Still, it would keep her safe for now.

“Yeah… Okay, I’ll join,” she concluded, earning small cheers from the group.  
“Then we welcome you to your new home,” Master Fung said.

“You’re going to love it here!” Kimiko assured with a smile. “And it’ll so nice to have another girl around.”

“In a few weeks, you’ll be able to whip Spicer’s butt for trying to attack you!” Rai added as one of the many perks of joining the temple.

“Indeed! There is much we can teach you and your brother!” Omi stated with an oblivious grin. No one really noticed his slip up as Krista adopted a confused look on her face.

“Brother? I’m an only child…” she stated, but trailed off.

“Well… Not exactly,” Kimiko said.

“They speak the truth, young dragon. You and your brother were separated at birth,” Master Fung explained as he placed a hand on Devon’s shoulder. “Krista Young, this is your brother, Devon Young.”

“Um… Nice to meet you?” Devon said, unsure of what else to say to her. He held out his hand to shake her’s, which she complied to. After a long moment of awkward silence, Master Fung decided to give the two time to speak to each other.

“Omi, Clay, Raimundo, and Kimiko, let us give these siblings some time. There is much we have to discuss,” he ordered before walking away. The original four monks followed after a few casual goodbyes.

“So… You’re my brother, huh? Cool…” Krista said as she looked around the temple.

“Yeah… This is all crazy,” Devon replied as he looked at his twin sister. Honestly, he thought they didn’t look alike at all. The only similar thing about them was their porcelain colored skin. Luckily, because his father was a big time director and socialite, he was used to being put into forced social situations and new how to make small talk.

“So, you grew up in Vegas? That must have been fun,” he said.

Krista shrugged before replying. “I guess. I mean, I’ve never lived anywhere else, so I have nothing to compare it to and I lived in a small apartment far from the main part of the city. There isn’t much to the city besides The Strip, and everything around there is too expensive. So, where did you grow up?”

“Beverly Hills. It was quiet, but I can’t complain. It’s Beverly Hills, after all,” he replied causing Krista to laugh.

“Yeah, I’d say that you don’t have much to complain about,” she stated. With that, the two siblings found it easier and easier to talk to each other, and began chatting away as they walked around the temple.

\--

“Well, that was more awkward than it had to be,” Dojo stated as the group walked away from the siblings.

“You can’t really blame ‘em,” Clay stated.

“Yeah, what would you say if you just met a sibling you didn’t know you had?” Kimiko questioned.

“Especially when they were only a few hours away from each other for all of that time,” Rai added.

“They have finally met and are getting to know one another. Now, there is a more pressing matter to attend to,” Master Fung said as he turned to face the monks. “I do not yet want them knowing who their father is or what he is capable of. He does not know we have them, and we have no way of knowing how he would react. Therefore, they cannot go with you in the event of a new Shen Gong Wu activating.”

The group was overall wary of the decision Master Fung had made, but understood why he had made it. These two were still unpredictable, and adding Chase as a wild card made everything a bit more unstable. So, Devon and Krista remained in the temple for the next few weeks, catching up on training and adapting to the Xiaolin way.


	6. Ignorance is Bliss

“Ugh! This is awful!” Krista stated as she fell back onto her mat and looked up at the ceiling. It had been over three months since she had joined the temple, and over three months since she had been able to step foot outside of its boundaries. “I’m so bored!”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, what do you expect?” Kimiko stated as she stepped into the small cubicle that was her room. Her hair was tied back into her signature pigtails, but she was wearing her usual pajamas and had no shoes on.

“I didn’t expect to be trapped here for weeks on end,” she mumbled and sat up. Her muscles screamed in protest, she was so sore from the rigorous training day in and day out. Still, she could feel that she was getting stronger, which meant that she would soon be able to protect herself. Though she thought everyone at the temple was nice and easy to get along with, she constantly contemplated going home when she felt she was prepared enough. The only things conflicting with that thought were unlocking the secrets of her past, her power, and that little part of her that wanted to stay with the only blood related family member she had.

“I’m sure Master Fung will let you come with us when he thinks you’re ready,” Kimiko assured as she sat down next to her. Being the only two girls in the temple, the two bonded quickly. They couldn’t themselves “best friends” or even say they had a lot in common. However, Krista could say that she at lot more in common with the Japanese girl than the Texan Cowboy, soccer playing Brazilian, disciplined monk, or aspiring director.

“I know, that’s what I’ve been told for the last two months,” she replied with a bit of an eye roll. “I just feel pent up. I’m so used to the city and always having something to do.”

“Come on, let’s go see what the guys are up to. That’ll take your mind off of things,” Kimiko suggested.

Krista nodded and followed her over to Rai’s room, where everyone currently was. They were all huddled around the computer and completely focused on what was on the screen. A single loud slap noise echoed through the speakers, and the boys doubled over laughing.

“Oh, Raimundo, you were most correct in telling us this “smack cam” was amusing,” Omi admitted.

“I never seen someone get nailed like that,” Clay agreed.

“Smack cams, always a classic,” Devon agreed.

“Told you so,” Rai gloated proudly.

Kimiko and Krista looked at each other and smirked. Before the boys could notice their presence, they slipped out of the room and over into Kimiko’s. The dragon on fire went routing through one of her drawers until she pulled out a long, pink tube with a pump top. After placing it on the table, she went over to her small desk and unplugged her charging camera.

“I’ll do it if you get it on camera,” Krista said as she picked up the can of shaving cream and covered the palms of her hands in a thick, soapy lather.

Kimiko laughed and nodded, then began to get her camera ready to record.

They both tiptoed down the hall with their hands behind their backs. It looked very suspicious, but no one was around to see. When they finally approached the room, Kimiko stayed out in the hallway, pressed the record button, and gave Krista a thumbs up.

She nodded in return and strolled up to the boys, hands still behind her back, and peered over Rai’s shoulder as if curious about what they were doing. “Hey, boys! What’s up?”

“Watching smack cam videos,” Rai answered with a grin. “I can’t believe they don’t see it coming. You’d have to be stupid to not-“

“Smack cam!” Krista shouted as her left hand hit Rai square in the cheek and her right connected with Devon’s forehead. She quickly turned around and booked it out of the room with Kimiko quickly following her. Rai and Devon stared at each other in shock for a moment before getting up the chase after the scheming girls.

“You said he keeps his account signed in?” Kimiko asked as she ran next to her.

“Yeah, you should have no problem uploading it,” Krista confirmed as they approached an upcoming fork in the hallway. “They’re chasing after me, you sneak off to Devon’s room and take care of it.”

Kimiko nodded and veered left as Krista went right. As predicted, the boys followed their attacker, not paying much mind to the Japanese girl who only seemed to be a by stander. They would get her back later.

Krista ran outside and quickly looked for a place to hide. The moon was high in the sky and left a silvery glow upon the temple which allowed the buildings to cast dark shadows as well. To her, it was the most peaceful time of the day. She took a quick right, ran through the temple garden, and jumped over one of the walls. She went to turn a corner, but instantly felt herself run into someone and flew back.

“Hey! Watch it!” the woman snapped at her. She looked up to see a tan woman with maroon hair and tan skin. Her teeth were almost pointed, and her eyes were beady and dark. “Oh, you must be the girl Jack told me about. The ‘dragon of darkness.”

“Wha- who are you?” Krista asked as she looked up. She could’ve easily screamed to attract the boys’ attention, but she refused to show weakness and was a bit curious about who this mysterious woman was.

“You’re here for so long and you don’t know me? They must be keeping secrets from you. I am Wuya,” she introduced.

“Krista!” Devon called out as he ran to her. He slowed down when his eyes fell on the Heylin witch until he came to a complete stop behind his sister. He reached down to help Krista up, which she gladly complied to. “I’ve never seen you around here…”

Wuya laughed lowly, sending a chill through the twins. “I couldn’t tell you were his child,” she said as she pointed to Krista, then moved her finger to Devon. “But you look just like him!”

“Our… Dad?” Devon questioned as he scrutinized her suspiciously. He frowned, getting an odd feeling about her, before pushing even more. “I said I never saw you around here.”

“I wouldn’t waste a moment of my time with these pathetic imbeciles,” Wuya stated nonchalantly.

“Don’t call them that!” Krista snapped as she sent her a glare.

“Feisty, just like your mother,” she stated.

“What are you doing here?” Devon questioned.

“I’m here to see you, the offspring of the famed Chase Young,” she answered.

“Chase Young?” Krista inquired.

“My my… They are hiding a lot from you, aren’t they?” she asked.  
“They’re taking care of us,” he defended.

“Believe what you want. I could take you to your home, your family… But, the next time we meet each other and you’re with them, I won’t be as nice,” Wuya warned before pulling a golden shen gong wu out. “Golden Tiger Claws!” she yelled as a portal opened and she jumped through it.

Devon and Krista looked at each other, each with a confused and shocked expression.

“We should tell the others what happened,” he suggested.

“I don’t know, Devon… Maybe we should think about what she said,” she countered.

He rose and eyebrow at her then asked, “What would make you say that? We have no clue who she is and you’re actually taking what she said seriously?”

“Well, the last time I didn’t take someone seriously I ended up being chased by a read haired freak and his posse through the Canal Shoppes,” she stated.

He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Look, we’re safe here. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“But aren’t you curious, Devon? What if she does know our mom and dad? What if-“she started.

“They didn’t want us, Krista. There’s no point in chasing people who threw us away,” he assured softly before walking back to the others. He, of course, expected her to follow.

Krista looked back to where Wuya once stood, then back to her brother. She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself before following.

When they returned to the others, the monks instantly noticed how silent the twins were.

“You are unusually quiet,” Omi noted.

“Yeah, everything okay with you hombres?” Clay asked.

Devon hesitated for a moment and thought about telling them. He looked to Krista, who had an expressionless face, before answering. “Nah, we’re fine.” He feigned a smile to make the illusion complete.

Krista sent her brother a small smile and nodded. She knew she’d have to change the subject quickly though. Her eyes scanned the room for something to talk about when they fell on Rai’s arm that was drapped around Kimiko’s shoulders.

“Hey, Kimiko, you have some whipped cream on the corner of your mouth,” she teased with a smirk.

Kimiko blushed while everyone else started laughed. The twins sat down and the monks continued their night as if nothing ever happened, although the encounter with the strange women kept being replayed in the back of Devon’s and Krista’s minds’.

\--

Wuya stepped out of her portal and looked around. Jack was supposed to meet her here after she talked to the twins. The idiot probably got caught but she couldn’t send him to try to manipulate them. She continued forward into an all too familiar to her lair with giant jungle cats lounging about. One of them growled at her, but she wasn’t fazed.

“What do you want?” came chases booming voice that was laced with annoyance.

“I’ve got a little news for you,” Wuya answered as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Spicer has told me, although he hasn’t told me what,” he replied, sounding no more interested than before.

“You’d think a father would be more perceptive of these things,” she taunted.

He narrowed his eyes at her as his scowl deepened. “What do you mean?”

“Two of your little brats found their way to the Xiaolin Temple,” she stated.

“I have no living offspring,” he stated and put his hands behind his back.

“What’s wrong? The powerful Heylin witch can’t handle four monks, let alone six?”

“Take a look for yourself!” Wuya snapped.

Chase nodded at his raven, which then flew off toward the Xiaolin Temple. “Bring Spicer in here,” he ordered.

Jack as carried into the room by one of the cats who had their teeth locked onto the back of his shirt. He waved sheepishly.

“Tell us everything you heard about these brats,” Wuya ordered.

“All they said was that Chase was their dad, and that they might be evil because of the power of the Lao Mang Lone soup in your veins,” Jack answered then looked back at the cat. “Can you put me down now?”

Chase snapped his fingers, and the cat instantly dropped him. He walked over to peer into a magical eye that doubled as a crystal ball. The image that appeared was a view through a window, showing all of the monks lounging about and laughing.

The moment he noticed the two monks, a growl began lowly in his throat and progressively got louder. He hit the eye away, making it sway back and forth until it returned to his normal position.

“I told you, the resemblance is uncanny… At least for the boy. And where have I seen that hair before?” Wuya questioned, although she knew well what the answer was.

“Their supposed to be dead! I left them on the mountain to perish,” he yelled.

“Oh, using stuff from ancient Greece? That’s why you’re the man, Chase,” Jack said with a smile and a thumbs up. Chase was too angry to acknowledge it.

“You should have been more thorough,” Wuya said, but got to the point of why she was there. “However, I think they could be useful to us now.”

Chase was practically seething, but he turned his head to look at her. “How?” he asked through gritted teeth and with his fists clenched. This problem had to be corrected, and fast.


End file.
